stellaR (Editing)

Chapter III

Chapter- III

 

And in the end, it’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years.    -Abraham Lincoln

 

     Sol didn’t seem surprised at all to see me. It made me curious. Instead, he flicked his hair out of his eyes, and smiled openly at me.

     It didn’t work this time around, I didn’t automatically smile back. I was still angry. I was going to miss a soccer game for this.

     His forehead crinkled, and he peered at me.

     “What’s the matter?” He asked.

     “Why am I here?” I spat back.

     “Why? Is this a bad time?” This was said mockingly, and I flinched in surprise as I looked back up at him.

     “What’s your problem? Why are you being like this? Why do we have to do this now?”

     “I don’t have a problem.” He turned his back to me, and walked a few paces away, running his fingers through his hair roughly.

     “Okay, then. Could you pretty please tell me what I’m doing here?” I tried to make my voice lighter, like it really didn’t matter. But I was dying to know. I was with the wrong guy in this world. What? Where had that thought come from? Mentally shrugging, I pushed the thought aside for now. Why was I here?

     “Well… let’s just say, I missed you, Stella.”

     I guess that was sweet, if I’d been in a ‘sweep me off my feet, please’ kind of mood. As it was, those words were coming out of the wrong mouth. I blinked at my own thoughts, shocked once more. How was I getting so attached to Chaud already? Better yet, why?

     “Miss me?” I asked incredulously, “you hardly even know me. We met, once, for five minutes. If I remember right, I gave you my number- in some lapse of judgment- and you didn’t even try to get in touch with me. So, I’ll ask again. Why am I here now?”

     Sol blinked.

     “Whoa there, little lady,” He spoke with a rather poor southern accent, apparently for the heck of it, which irritated me the same way it had this morning with Margie, “You’re here, princess, because, I’m sorry to say, this isn’t all about you anymore. I believe, and I think Chaud does, too,” He paused.

His casual mention of Chaud made my stomach churn. I’d nearly forgotten they knew each other, and I was jealous for a second. I wished I had the opportunity to know Chaud well enough to talk about him in casual conversation.

     My bottom lip might’ve jutted out a bit, because, yes, I was pouting.

     “We believe that you are one of us. Which means that, while unheard of because there have only ever been four, you are in as much danger now as the rest of us, Stella.” He finished, waiting a moment for it all to sink in for me.

     Comprehension must have dawned on my face because he placed his hands on either side of my head, leaned in to look me in the eyes, and nodded.

     “Yes. We’re being hunted.”

     I shivered. I didn’t very much appreciate his choice of words. Hunted implied a hunter, a chase, and a kill. I didn’t enjoy the thought of that at all.